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The Helping America’s Youth (HAY) Program Tool features evidence-based programs that prevent and reduce delinquency or other youthful (up to age 20) problem behaviors (e.g., drug and alcohol use). The Program Tool includes information on programs that have been evaluated using scientific techniques and have demonstrated a statistically significant decline in these outcomes.
To be eligible for inclusion in the database, candidate programs must demonstrate results in accordance with widely accepted scientific criteria for program effectiveness. Programs in the database fall into one of the following categories:
“Level 1” programs have been scientifically demonstrated to prevent delinquency or reduce/enhance risk/protective factors for delinquency and other child and youthful problems using a research design of the highest quality (i.e., an experimental design and random assignment of subjects).
“Level 2” programs have been scientifically demonstrated to prevent delinquency or reduce/enhance risk/protection for delinquency and other child and youthful problems using either an experimental or quasiexperimental research design, with a comparison group, and the evidence suggests program effectiveness.
“Level 3” programs display a strong theoretical base and have been demonstrated to prevent delinquency and other child and youthful problems or reduce/enhance risk/protective factors for them using limited research methods (with at least single group pre- and post-treatment measurements). The evidence associated with these programs appears promising but requires confirmation using more rigorous scientific techniques.
The overall rating is derived from four summary dimensions of program effectiveness: the conceptual framework of the program, program fidelity, strength of the evaluation design, and the empirical evidence demonstrating the prevention or reduction of problem behaviors.
To be eligible for inclusion in the HAY Program Tool, programs must meet the following criteria:
1. The study must investigate the effects of a prevention or intervention program designed to address problem behaviors or conditions that place youth at risk for juvenile delinquency and other problem behaviors. The program must focus on one of the following problem behaviors: delinquency, violence, youth gang involvement, alcohol, tobacco and drug use, family functioning, trauma exposure, or sexual activity/exploitation. Other problem behaviors, such as physical health problems and injuries, are excluded.
2. The program must (a) explicitly aim to prevent or reduce a problem behavior in a universal or selected juvenile population or (b) if not explicitly aimed to reduce or prevent a problem behavior, apply to a juvenile population at risk for problem behaviors.
3. The study design must involve a comparison condition. A comparison condition can be (a) no treatment, (b) treatment as usual, (c) a placebo treatment, (d) an alternative treatment, or (e) a time period. Thus, eligible study designs may include experimental with random assignment, nonequivalent quasiexperimental, and quasiexperimental one-group pretest-posttest studies. Nonexperimental and case study designs are specifically excluded.
The following federal agencies worked together to identify programs for the HAY Program Tool: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office for National Drug Control Policy, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Program reviews were completed by Development Services Group, Inc., and the Institute for Intergovernmental Research.
Nominations of qualified programs can be made to Development Services Group. View instructions on how to nominate a program for inclusion in the database.
